Reading Between the Lines
by DreamStar14
Summary: "Missing pieces do more than complete the puzzle. They fill in an empty space." Luanne Rice / These are the scenes that never made it, that may never have been known as someone not been there to tell them. These are the missing pieces of the puzzle. Side-Story to Top of the World.
1. Chapter 1: 2-1 - His Promise

A/N: Lately, I've noticed that "Top of the World" has some missing scenes in it, so this story is basically to fill in those gaps. I am also going to add those chapters that I thought would be omitted, including "Trading Places".

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers. Mr. Saban does and always will.

Those of you, who have followed along since Top of the World, thank you for reading and following me! It is highly appreciated. And those of you just joining us, welcome! We hope you enjoy your stay.

And by 2.1, I mean Top of the World, Chapter 2. If you are confused, please go back and read Top of the World. If you have read it already, please reread it, to refresh your memory.

~PRS~PRS~PRS~PRS~

"_He reached out and gently wiped a tear away. _'It's okay, Em. Whatever is troubling you now, just let it go. Tomorrow we'll all do something together, as a team.'

_She sniffed once again, having started to loosen up at 'Em'. She never heard him call her anything except 'Emily'. _'W-Will it be fun?'

_He managed to stifle a short laugh, but he still gently smiled. _'Yes, Em. It'll be fun. I promise.'

_She let out a tearful smile and he pulled her to his chest, merely stroking her hair and letting her get her tears out._

_And trust me, he did keep his promise." _~ Top of the World, Chapter 2: Origins, Part 2

**Top of the World ~ Side Story:** _Reading between the Lines_

**Chapter 2.1: His Promise**

_**January 23, 2012**_

**Panorama City, Main Street**

"_Dude, that was _too close_. We could have been wiped out for _good_."_

"_Just be thankful we actually _won_, Mike."_

"_But Kevin, he's right. We need to step up our game if we're ever going to win another battle like _that_. Scorponic was really tough."_

"_True. We _all_ need to train harder than ever."_

"_I was actually thinking of doing some team-bonding exercises."_

"Thank you_, Mia. Is it just me or does this guy never think about anything but training?"_

"_Mike…"_

"_Sorry, Jayden, but it's true."_

"_He's dedicated. It's a good quality for a Samurai."_

"_Now, now. Let's not fight, please. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. It was my mistake."_

"Dammit, Emily_! Stop blaming yourself. You took that hit with good intentions!"_

_"Good intentions, but stupid actions…"_

"_Ugh!"_

"_Calm down, Mike. Don't judge her guilt. It's okay, Emily. You stood back up and you pulled through."_

"_Thanks, Mia…"_

"_Come on. Let's go back to the House. Jii will clean your injuries."_

That was yesterday. Jayden's last line there had hidden his real emotions. He is glad they had all pulled through for him. They really are a strong team, perfect for his sister.

Kevin is dedicated. He was also very disciplined and orderly, always with the best interests of the Samurai code at heart and at mind. However much it annoyed Mike, the team needs that.

Mia is the big sister. She is kind and caring, but knew how to be tough when it counted. Jayden is sure she would be able to stand her ground, no matter what.

Mike is the jokester. He is often the comic relief, and he fights with Kevin a lot, even though it had only been two days. He hasn't shown much strength on the battlefield yet, but Jayden is confident that he would. Mike has a lot of potential. One day, if he really works at it, he may even surpass Jayden.

Emily is the youngest and most inexperienced member of the team. But she is trying her best. The more she fights, the better she gets. But he can sense that she is hiding something. She is trying to be strong, but it is slowly choking her, and she will die if she doesn't break free.

"Get that filth away from me, Hayashi."

His attention is drawn to the other two males on the team. He turns to face them, wondering what the problem is now.

"What's the deal?" Mike retaliates. That's what Jayden wants to know. "They're just M&Ms."

_Oh…_

"They are fattening, Hayashi."

"Is it the color? Here. You can have all the blue ones."

"No thanks, Hayashi."

Mike scoffs. "I have a name, you know. It's Mike. And why the hell do you make things so complicated?"

"Save your breath, Mike," Mia cuts in. "He doesn't understand that all work and no play makes Kevin a very dull boy."

Mike turns back to Kevin. "See? This is why she doesn't piss me off. She knows life is not all about working and training."

Jayden merely rolls his eyes and glances over at Emily. She's been awfully quiet ever since last night, after getting back home from fighting Scorponic.

It was a fierce fight, especially for Emily. After her screw-up, she found it quite hard to get back up and keep going. Even now, it is obvious that she still feels guilty about her mistake. That's why she's acting so sad and distant from the others.

Even now…

Partially sick and tired of the arguing taking place, Jayden backtracks and stands beside Emily, not too close, but not too far away.

As in, they're not friends, but they're not strangers either.

They're companions, teammates. That's all.

Trying to ease in the conversation, Jayden stares she her own gaze is. She's staring out into the ocean. No people in sight, in the water or on the beach. It's too cold, too early in the year for that.

It's a few minutes before either of them finally speak. Shy, soft spoken Emily is the one who breaks the silence.

"I've always wondered if it will ever be cold enough to make the entire ocean freeze over."

He quietly replies, "As long as the sun exists, that will never happen."

He doesn't mean for it to sound harsh, but Emily backs off immediately, as if he had just reprimanded her. "I-I suppose you're right." She pauses. "I appreciate your keeping your promise, though. Thank you," she quietly adds.

He doesn't glance over at her, nor does he say anything to accept her gratitude, however much he really does. Instead, he responds, "Just as the sun prevents the cold from freezing the entire ocean and killing all its inhabitants, it is our duty as Samurai Rangers to prevent the Nighlock from flooding our world and causing misery."

Emily is quiet. She certainly never thought about it like that. She feels a hand on her head, it's Jayden's, and it turns her gaze away from the ocean and the beach to the city behind and beside them. The hand is lifted, and Jayden continues on.

"You made a mistake. So what? Imagine what the world would look like had thing gone any differently, had you not stood back up and kept fighting, and notice the difference now because you did. You may have almost let us all down, but you didn't, because you corrected that mistake before it was too late."

Emily feels herself tearing up. "B-But I disobeyed orders. Y-You told me to stay down…"

"I don't expect all of my orders to be followed. What I do expect, however, is that no matter how hard you fall, you always get right back up again. That's _exactly_ what you did, Emily Suzuki, and that's what makes you a _true Samurai_."

Emily glances up at him and smiles.

In this moment, Jayden notes the fighting in the background, or lack thereof. Mia, Mike, and Kevin are still here, but they have ceased their arguing and are currently listening to their leader intently, taking in every single word he says.

For this, he is grateful. This is true bonding, not arguing amongst themselves, but coming to realize the burdens and duties they all carry _as a team_, and most of all, swearing to themselves and their teammates to carry out their duties no matter what.

As Jayden gently rubs the top of Emily's head, Kevin turns to Mike, and quietly says, "Mike, can I have the blue M&Ms now?"

~PRS~PRS~PRS~PRS~

A/N: Well? What do you think? Review, please!

**Chapter 2: **_**2.5 – The Team Unites**_

"_They were a team, but that's as far as their relationship went. Emily, however, wanted something more. She wanted them to be friends, a tight family with unbreakable ties."_


	2. Chapter 2: 2-5 - The Team Unites

A/N: Lately, I've noticed that "Top of the World" has some missing scenes in it, so this story is basically to fill in those gaps. I am also going to add those chapters that I thought would be omitted, including "Trading Places".

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers. Mr. Saban does and always will.

Those of you, who have followed along since Top of the World, thank you for reading and following me! It is highly appreciated. And those of you just joining us, welcome! We hope you enjoy your stay.

If you are confused, please go back and read Top of the World. If you have read it already, please reread it, to refresh your memory.

~PRS~PRS~PRS~PRS~

"_They were a team, but that's as far as their relationship went. Emily, however, wanted something more. She wanted them to be friends, a tight family with unbreakable ties."_

**Top of the World ~ Side Story:** _Reading between the Lines_

**Chapter 2.5: The Team Unites**

_**January 25, 2012**_

**Shiba House, Kitchen**

She was late, she was late, she was so late!

Emily had stayed up late last night, making friendship bracelets for her teammates, plus Mentor Jii. She had woken up a half hour later than she meant to, and now she was paying for it.

If she ate a full breakfast, she would definitely be late for training. Jii was strict about being on time, Jayden was about half of that, and Kevin was always on everyone else's case about it. He would talk others down until their minds were numb, Mike's especially. It wasn't the tardiness that was really the issue. The problem was the lecture she would get for being late.

But if the others liked her bracelets, or the gesture, or both, then it would be worth it.

But she stood in the doorway of the kitchen, hearing the following conversation and feeling it bring her spirits down, second after second, as it went on.

"Mike you're late again," Kevin was saying, obviously to Mike, who just sighed in exasperation. "A Samurai is never late to anything. Any tardiness is viewed as dishonor."

"Chill, okay?" Mike retorted, hotly. "Nobody's gonna die if I'm late for training."

"Innocent civilians definitely will if you don't take this entire mission seriously. Do you want people to die?"

"Dude, relax! Quit getting on my case about everything! You're so annoying!"

"Both of you, cut it out!" Jayden sternly yelled from his place at the kitchen counter.

Mia rolled her eyes, as Jii left the room, tiredly greeting Emily on the way out. Emily only glanced at him as he walked away, before turning her attention back to her teammates.

"I'm sorry, Jayden," Kevin said, "but Mike here should really think about organizing his life."

"Dude, shut up! Get off my back! Quit yelling at me!" Mike yelled back.

"Oh, sure," Mia said, sarcasm clearly lacing her voice. "More yelling will definitely stop all the yelling."

But that appeared to only make things worse, as Kevin and Mike started arguing with Mia, with Jayden off to the side, struggling to keep his cool, determined to keep his temper under control.

This wasn't what she wanted. Not at all. She didn't want a fight.

She felt the bracelets drop from her numb fingers, as tears welded up in her eyes. She shouted, louder above the rest. "STOP IT!"

Taken by complete surprise at her outburst, her four teammates did as she asked, turning to face their yellow Samurai.

Emily continued, "We shouldn't act this way! Do you want to encourage the Ukigumo?!"

"Uki…what?" Mike asked.

"Ukigumo," Jayden calmly repeated. "It's Japanese for 'instability', but in the Suzuki Clan's case, it means the Drifting, capitalized."

"Ukigumo," Emily went on, "the Drifting, is the event when the team tends to drift apart and their friendship…begins to die."

"Friendship? Me? Friends with this guy?" Mike pointed to Kevin. "Yeah, right," he scoffed. "Not in a million years."

"Calm down, Hayashi," Jayden said, quickly, before another fight broke out. "Emily, it's alright. We're not drifting apart. We're just getting on each other's nerves. That's all. This is just typical roommate stuff."

Emily took in a deep, slightly shattered breath, tears itching to stream down her face. "I-I know. I just…" She took another deep breath. "But we're still a team. We still shouldn't be acting like this! None of us can take any risks for or against the team. One wrong move and the whole team dynamic is ruined!"

And she ran out. Mia turned to the three guys, quietly, sarcastically, replying, "Well, that was nicely handled," before running after Emily.

~P~O~W~E~R~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~S~A~M~U~R~A~I~T~O~P~O~F~T~H~E~W~O~R~L~D~

**Shiba House, Outdoor Area**

Mia cautiously approached Emily, sitting on the bench, playing a slightly sad tune on her flute. When Emily finished her song, she slowly put her wooden instrument down.

"Hi, Mia."

The older girl paused. "Hey, Em. How'd you know it was me?"

Emily didn't turn around, or flinch, or move at all. "I'm the Earth Samurai. I can sense vibrations in the ground."

"I figured that's how you could sense someone behind you, but how did you know it was me?"

"Everyone has a distinct vibration. Yours is lighter than the guys'."

"Huh," Mia lightly scoffed. That was interesting. She knew that each Ranger had certain natural abilities according to their element, but she never imagined what the others' would be, besides her own. She cleared her throat. "Anyways, what's up? You just…totally burned the guys back there. What happened?"

Emily breathed in, shaking with emotion. "I…I know we're just teammates, and that's probably all we'll ever be for a while." She sniffed. "I just want us all to be friends, and all this fighting isn't going to make that happen!"

Mia was silent for a minute. "It's not a silly idea, Em."

She whirled around to face the older girl. "Are you kidding?! You heard Mike! Just the thought of being friends with Kevin and possibly Jayden makes him sick! Kevin probably feels the same way! And Jayden said we were all just roommates! To them, it's a stupid idea!"

"Not to me, it isn't."

"Huh?"

"I saw the bracelets you made and dropped on the way out. I think it was a very nice gesture, one the others would definitely have kept with them forever had you actually given them to us."

"Oh, the bracelets…I'll clean them up later."

"Mentor's fixing them up right now. He connected the dots about why you were late, and so he'll let you go, but just this once."

And Emily glanced at Mia with tears in her eyes.

~P~O~W~E~R~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~S~A~M~U~R~A~I~T~O~P~O~F~T~H~E~W~O~R~L~D~

**Shiba House, Meeting Room**

Mike's friends were in the hospital, at least, they were when the Rangers left the battlefield. One of the two had a broken arm, and the other had a couple of broken ribs. They would be okay, but they couldn't skateboard, or do anything sports-related or rash for a long time. Fortunately, they had passed out when Mike morphed, so they didn't see anything.

After Mike had left his team in a shattered state, Emily sat down, and Mia sat next to her, Jii, Jayden, and Kevin on the other side of the room.

"So, Em…I guess you were right about that whole Ukigumo stuff." Mike had called his teammates just that, merely his co-workers. His friends were the ones who were hurt. And he sounded really angry when he said it, too.

The other three's ears perked up when they heard the Japanese word.

"Even if we fix this, it'll happen again," Emily replied. "But I now understand why we fight all the time. We all have our differences, our insecurities, and we all have the one thought of being the only one who understands our pain, the feeling of being misunderstood. Mike's been friends with those two for a long time. He only met us four, five days ago. He knows them better. We hardly know a thing about each other. My mother once told me that the first step to solving a conflict is understanding each others' pain, to know their side of the story."

"Still, Em," Kevin cut in. "He shouldn't have gone out on his own like that. He should have waited for us."

"There's a simple reason for that, Kevin," Emily replied, calmly. "Mike has a teamwork issue. He doesn't feel comfortable with working as a team just yet. I'm embarrassed to say, but I kind of feel the same way. I mean, it's only been about five days since our first meeting."

"'_If you expect nothing from anybody, you're never disappointed'_," Jii quoted. "And _'you can't expect everyone to have the same dedication as you'_." Jayden nodded.

"No matter what he's done, Mike is still our teammate," and our friend, Emily mentally added, "and as his teammates, it's our job to support him."

The silence allowed them the opportunity to think it all over.

~P~O~W~E~R~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~S~A~M~U~R~A~I~T~O~P~O~F~T~H~E~W~O~R~L~D~

_**January 26, 2012**_

Emily walked in the back of the group as the team went from the city back to the Shiba House. She had hurt her arm today in the fight. Other than that, she convinced herself of a job well done.

Blood was seeping through her white sweater. It was visible, and it was even getting on her hand. It was just a cut. How could it be bleeding so much?

"Symbol Power: Heal." Jayden's fire surrounded her injury and began to heal it. Emily watched it do so. He then whispered to her, "Good job, today."

She smiled at him, before Mike said aloud, "Thanks, everyone, for backing me up. I'll never let Ukigumo break us up ever again."

"Or let it crack us either," Mia added. Mike nodded, a smile across his face, and Emily knew right then.

It would take a while, but day by day, they really were closer to becoming friends.

~PRS~PRS~PRS~PRS~

A/N: Well? What do you think? Review, please!

**Chapter 3: **_**3.5 – Day Off**_

"_It was their first official vacation, even if it was just for a day, but Jayden wasn't with them. And that made her very sad."_


	3. Chapter 3: 3-5 - Day Off

A/N: Lately, I've noticed that "Top of the World" has some missing scenes in it, so this story is basically to fill in those gaps. I am also going to add those chapters that I thought would be omitted, including "Trading Places".

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers. Mr. Saban does and always will.

Those of you, who have followed along since Top of the World, thank you for reading and following me! It is highly appreciated. And those of you just joining us, welcome! We hope you enjoy your stay.

If you are confused, please go back and read Top of the World. If you have read it already, please reread it, to refresh your memory.

~PRS~PRS~PRS~PRS~

"_It was their first official vacation, even if it was just for a day, but Jayden wasn't with them. And that made her very sad."_

**Top of the World ~ Side Story:** _Reading between the Lines_

**Chapter 3.5: Day Off**

_**January 27, 2012**_

**Rainbow's End, Panorama City**

With the sounds of fun and happiness, and carnival music, filling their ears, Kevin, Mia, Mike, and Emily happily entered the amusement park, Rainbow's End.

"Yeah~! We're here, guys! Now, let's go!" Mike said, leading the team through the park.

But complete happiness wasn't exactly the truth. Emily was upset. They others may not have appeared so, but for Emily, her sadness was obvious.

"I wonder why Jayden didn't come," Kevin said.

"He seemed to have something on his mind," Mia replied.

Despite how upset she was that Jayden refused the invitation to their day off, Emily responded, "He must be training. We don't know what he's training for, but it must be very important for him not to take a break."

How she could remain so optimistic, even when things were the worst, was beyond them.

Kevin seemed to agree and they walked in comfortable silence for about thirty more seconds before he burst, "Hold it! A Samurai never takes a day off! What if this is a test?!"

"Calm down," Mia said. "Mentor wouldn't be so careless."

"Yeah, if Mentor wanted us to stay, he would have said so," Mike added.

Taking deep breaths, he heard Emily add, "And I don't think Jayden will ever take a break until every single Nighlock in the Sanzu River is defeated. That's just the kind of guy he is."

Dedicated.

That was the very first quality she began to admire about him.

Mike nodded, agreeing with Emily, if only to get this party started. "Now, let's go, you stick in the mud. The rides are a-waitin'!"

After riding some roller coasters, playing some carnival games, and bumping into a couple of guys with a giant stuffed panda, the four vacationing Rangers finally sat down to lunch, burgers, fries, and sodas, well, milkshakes for Emily and Kevin.

While eating, Emily kept glancing down at the mini stuffed lion she won at one of the games, in her hand, resting on her lap. Mike helped her win it, but the lion reminded her of Jayden, the only person their group was missing. She was planning on giving this to him as a gift.

Jayden must be training, she was said. She admired his dedication, but she wished he could take a break every now and then.

A few screams interrupted her train of thought and the conversation between the other three. They sat there, confused, until someone yelled out, "Monster!"

Their eyes nearly popped out of their heads, but that was their cue. Finishing off the last of their lunch, throwing their trash on the way out, the four Rangers headed off into battle.

~P~O~W~E~R~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~S~A~M~U~R~A~I~T~O~P~O~F~T~H~E~W~O~R~L~D~

**Shiba House, Meeting Room**

The atmosphere was no longer happy or relaxing. It was tense and very sad.

"Man…we got our butts kicked…" Mike said, sitting down in his chair around the Gap Sensor table.

"I don't mean to sound like that Nighlock, but our spin swords and symbol power, were, well…useless," Mia added.

'It's all useless, my dear!' Dreadhead had said to Emily during the fight. 'Eventually, the curtains will be lifted and it will all be hopeless!'

It was true. Her fighting against her destiny, trying to hide it from the other Rangers…it was meaningless, useless.

"N-No," she said aloud, refusing to raise her gaze from the ground. "We have to keep going. We have to find a way."

Even though it brought the others' spirits up, she mainly said this to cheer herself up, but to no avail.

"Emily's right," Mentor replied. "You can't give up. Find a way, and the darkness will be lifted from your path."

But Emily couldn't see the path or the light. All she could see was darkness. How was she supposed to find a way when all of the possible ways were hidden from her too?

Jayden stood up, and revealed an orange disk. "This is the Beetle Disk. It's a secret disk the previous generations often used it battle."

"Awesome, so next time, you can use it," Mike said.

Everything she was trying wasn't working. There was no hope for her, after all.

"It's not that simple, Mike," Jii cut in. "In order to use it, you need twice the symbol power you have now. After the tenth generation, the disk kind of fell out of place. No one from then on could ever really master it."

Her hands were trembling. She really couldn't go on. She supposed it was time to reveal her secret. Tears filled her eyes, as she opened her trembling mouth to speak, but it seemed Jayden beat her to it.

"I promise you, I will not stop until I master this disk, until every single Nighlock in the Sanzu River is defeated. I won't let you down," Jayden promised them.

Emily allowed a smile to cross her face as his words sunk into her soul.

Even if there wasn't a way hidden in plain sight, sure there was one deeper inside than those on the surface. All she had to do was keep looking, keep going.

Never give up.

She straightened her posture, her courage and determination slowly rising as she made her resolve.

~P~O~W~E~R~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~S~A~M~U~R~A~I~T~O~P~O~F~T~H~E~W~O~R~L~D~

_**January 28, 2012**_

**Main Street, Panorama City**

Emily raced out with the others when the Gap Sensor sounded. They met Dreadhead while in town. He didn't see them yet, as his back was turned, but before they caught his attention, they had a little talk amongst themselves.

"Do you think Jayden killed himself over training last night?" Mike asked Mia.

"No," it was Emily who answered. "Jayden'll come. Have faith. Let's just focus on protecting the city until he gets here."

"You're right, Em," Kevin said. "Mia, do you think you can sense some wind his way to catch his attention?"

"I most certainly can," Mia replied. _"Symbol Power: Wind!"_

Dreadhead stumbled, but got back up when Kevin said, "Hey, Useless!"

"Hey, you stole my word!" He held up his blaster, ready to attack.

"_Go, go, Samurai!"_

Their morph blocked the blasts sent their way.

~P~O~W~E~R~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~S~A~M~U~R~A~I~T~O~P~O~F~T~H~E~W~O~R~L~D~

_**January 29, 2012**_

**Rainbow's End, Panorama City**

"I'm really glad Mentor gave us another day off," Emily voiced to Jayden the next morning.

"It's only fair, Em, since the last one didn't really count," Jayden replied. Jii had convinced him to go, and so far, he was glad he listened to the man. He and Emily were currently standing in line to the cotton candy stand. "We take days off to avoid work, not to meet it at lunch."

He heard Emily giggle, and the sound of her laugh made him smile.

"Y-You know, Jayden, I really admire your dedication," she said, a little nervous to be admitting it out like that. She could feel her face getting red. "Like the way you're able to stay so focused on the mission."

"Thanks, Em. That means a lot," she heard him reply. "And I really admire your optimism." She glanced over at him, a smile across her face. "Like the other day, after the first fight with Dreadhead, when everything seemed dark. You kept your eyes in the direction of the light. To me, that is dedication."

"R-Really?"

He nodded. "You pushed us back on track, Em. If you didn't, we'd still be fighting that Nighlock."

"And that means a lot to me. But dedication is nothing without a good vacation every now and then," she replied.

"Because without a bit of laying back and relaxing, we can't be at our best. We'd be tired and sore all the time from training and working. I understand that."

The two smiled at each other once more.

Jayden would be sure to have this problem again, but when that happened, Emily would be there to remind him how to fix it.

And she made another resolve that moment.

She would always be there for Jayden, just as he was for her.

~PRS~PRS~PRS~PRS~

A/N: Well? What do you think? Review, please!

**Chapter 4: **_**4.1 – Speak Up**_

"_In this moment, she realized one very important thing: she honestly cared about them, more so than the usual citizen or companion. She was beginning to care about them as her own siblings."_


	4. Chapter 4: 4-1 - Speak Up

A/N: Lately, I've noticed that "Top of the World" has some missing scenes in it, so this story is basically to fill in those gaps. I am also going to add those chapters that I thought would be omitted, including "Trading Places".

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers. Mr. Saban does and always will.

If you are confused, you might want to go back and read Top of the World first.

~PRS~PRS~PRS~PRS~

"_In this moment, she realized one very important thing: she honestly cared about them, more so than the usual citizen or companion. She was beginning to care about them as her own siblings."_

**Top of the World ~ Side Story:** _Reading between the Lines_

**Chapter 4.1: Speak Up**

_**February 10, 2012**_

**Panorama City Park**

Today's battle may have been hard, but the day itself turned out to be pretty good.

Who knew Jayden liked vanilla ice cream?

'_You also have a secret, and it's eating you alive!'_

'_I know the Nighlock said she was hiding something, but after what she said and did for us today, I'm going to side with Emily.'_

Mike was so close to making her confess, but the more they vowed not to let their insecurities control them, the more she cared for them.

She actually, genuinely, honestly cared about someone outside of her family, but not in a "stranger" sense.

For the first time, she felt like they were true friends, best friends, and not just roommates who were forced to hang out with each other just because in a five-way family tradition for the past three hundred years, for the past eighteen generations.

She felt that they were all finally coming together.

"Em, listen, about earlier," Mike was leaning sideways toward her.

"It's alright," she replied quickly. She didn't feel comfortable with Mike apologizing. He wasn't the one who was hiding a big secret. She was. "You were just curious."

She was smiling up at him, which he found weird. After all that happened to her today, did she really have the courage, the strength, to stand back up again?

"A-Are you sure you're okay? I mean, those were a lot of pretty hateful words…"

Emily gently sighed. "For the tenth time, I am fine. Words from a jerk don't hurt me. At all."

"Yeesh, what a dumb blonde," came an unfamiliar voice behind her. "She thinks she's so smart, acting all tough when she's so not."

Emily cleared her throat and turned around to see who was speaking.

It was a boy, same age as her, neither goth nor punk, nor anything else. He looked like…a loner, someone who didn't have many friends, if not any at all.

She knew that he was the one who insulted her, but she didn't hate him, not for that. Instead, she wondering he went wrong.

What could have happened to him that shattered his faith in humanity so easily? Where did he go wrong in life?

"And she's the shortest, too," the boy continued. "She must be the useless one. She's probably not good at anything but crying and whining."

Was this guy serious? Mike wondered. Emily was right there in front of him, able to hear every word he said.

"Excuse me," Mike said, as the boy turned his cold gaze upon him. "You _do_ realize she's right here, right? She can hear you."

"Mike, stop," Emily grabbed his arm. "It's okay. They're just empty words to me, remember?"

"Butt out of this, _stupid_," the boy interrupted. "You're so annoying and immature. Just stop talking."

And Mike hurtfully back off like a dog.

"Woah, woah," up stepped Kevin. "Let's all just try to calm down."

"You two, _black scum_. Just go back to the cotton fields were you belong."

And Kevin stepped down, but Mia came forward.

"And Asians think they're so smart. They love to rub it in. I wouldn't be surprised if she used _steroids_ to get herself like that." Jayden placed a hand on Mia's shoulder, as a gesture of comfort. "And anyone as cold and heartless as that guy is just a _monster_. He shouldn't be allowed to live." And the hand on Mia's shoulder, she felt, was gone.

One little boy nearly seemed to sense all the hatred in the air, all of the misery caused by this lone kid's need for revenge and started crying. Revenge for what? No one knew.

"Shut up!" The kid yelled. "You're so annoying!" The little boy only cried harder, and the kid growled.

"_Stop it_!" All went silent.

It was Emily.

She continued when no one else did, "What's wrong with you?" She couldn't let the lone kid yell at that little boy like that. Something had to be done. Justice had to be served.

"Me?" The boy asked, incredulously.

"Who else?" She politely shot back. "What's wrong with you? Do you honestly believe it's okay to bring others down like that? Doing that to bring yourself up is pathetic. Only a weak person would do such a thing."

"But no one understands me! You know _nothing_!"

"I know enough. You only think you're alone." She could see the sadness in his eyes, the pain, the hatred. No one should ever go through any pain at all.

_No one but her._

"No, I know I'm alone! I have no siblings, and my parents abandoned me when I was seven! So don't tell me what to do or think!" Emily was quiet for a moment, as if thinking.

"You see the _idiot_ behind me there?" Emily motioned her thumb at Mike. "Mike's naturally hyper, but he butts in not because he's curious, but because he cares." She motioned toward Kevin. "How about the _black scum_? Kevin is a very hard worker and very loyal to those he cares about. He's humble and that's why we look up to him." She went to Mia next. "_Miss Steriods_'s real name is Mia, and she is a very beautiful person both inside and out. You'd have to extremely self-centered not to see that." She pointed to Jayden last. "And the _heartless monster_ you just hurt? That's Jayden, and he's a hard feeling human being who lives and breathes just like you. Underneath that calm façade, he feels just as violently as you do. I know you want a family bad, but stop hurting mine to get what you want."

The boy was silent for a minute, as if thinking of comeback good enough to top hers.

"O-Oh, yeah? Well…I assume that all the things I said about you are true then. I mean, you didn't try to deny it…"

"Me?" Emily repeated. "I'm titanium. You can't hurt me."

This really seemed to take the cake for the boy. It rendered him speechless for about a minute or so, until he really went all out on her.

"What a freak!" He yelled at her, but Emily remained unfazed. "No words can hurt you? Yeah, right! You're so stupid!"

"I'm used to it."

It was because she already felt like dirt. She hardly had any self-esteem, if none at all. When someone insulted her, it was her low self-esteem that protected her. She thought so lowly of herself that others thinking the same about her left uncaring toward such behavior. Hearing hurtful words from others was like hearing other people agree with her.

And this successfully rendered the boy speechless.

"Now," Emily's face was hard, stern, yet sympathetic, caring. "I'd like you to apologize to everyone here."

"What will you do to me if I don't?" The boy sounded ready for his punishment.

"Nothing, it seems. Everyone here still looks pretty angry to me."

When the boy turned around and feverishly, yet sincerely, began apologizing to everyone, finally giving up his need for vengeance, with tears in his eyes (that he constantly denied having), Emily turned to her friends, all four of them displaying varying degrees of awe.

"Emily," Mia cautiously approached her. "Is that really what you think about us?" She personally felt touched that Emily would stand up against a stranger, against insults directed towards one of her teammates.

"I suppose you could say that," Emily replied, "But it is what I know. Over the past couple of weeks, I've learned so many things about you guys: habits, personal fashion, fighting styles, favorites and dislikes, and so on and so forth. People don't know personal things about mere strangers, especially if they've known each other for at least three weeks. Face it. We're more than just teammates."

It was hard not to feel as close to them as family.

"She's right," Mia turned to the three guys. "Don't you feel like we've become friends now?"

"Just add ice cream," Mike replied. It made the other Rangers laugh, and they continued to enjoy their ice cream, however melted it was now. Emily couldn't help but smile.

The others returned her smile and she knew that now, they were finally beginning to come together, that they really were beginning to feel like family.

~PRS~PRS~PRS~PRS~

A/N: Well? What do you think? Review, please!

**Chapter 4: **_**4.5 – Fish Out of Water**_

"_The fate of the entire world rested on Kevin's shoulders, but it was their job to keep going, to not give up before he got there."_


End file.
